Golf wallet and methods of using same

ABSTRACT

A wallet having at least two panels includes an outer wall, an inner wall disposed over a majority of the outer wall and coupled thereto, the inner wall having a scalloped edge that traverses at least two of the panels, the inner wall and the outer wall forming a cavity therebetween, and a liner covering surfaces of the outer wall and the inner wall around the cavity.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for storing items.More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a storage devicefor use during recreational activities, such as golfing.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Certain recreational activities and sports require the use of sportinggloves. Such sporting gloves, such as golf gloves, often lose form,wrinkle and become damaged when improperly stored. Specifically, thegloves are often rolled up and tossed into the bottom of a bag, wherethey may difficult to locate and or become damaged. When the gloves arefinally located, poor storage leads to less than satisfactory use andlifetime of the glove. Additionally, while engaging in recreationalactivities, it is often desirable to temporarily store small valuablessuch as watches, tools and/or other items. Finally, there are nottechniques or devices that make it easy to quickly store, retrieve andwear sporting gloves. Instead, users typically must fish for the glovewithin their bag, and then unwrinkled them before wearing or store inthe non-breathable plastic holder the glove was purchased int.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In at least some examples, a wallet having at least two panels includesan outer wall comprising a durable material, an inner wall disposed overa majority of the outer wall and coupled thereto, the inner wall havinga scalloped edge that traverses at least two of the panels, the innerwall and the outer wall forming a cavity therebetween, and a linercovering surfaces of the outer wall and the inner wall around thecavity.

In at least some examples, a wallet having at least two panels, includesan outer wall having a top boundary, a bottom boundary and two sideboundaries, the outer wall comprising a durable material, an inner walldisposed at least two of the panels, the inner wall being coupled to theouter wall at the top boundary, the bottom boundary and one of the sideboundaries, and the outer wall forming a cavity therebetween, and aliner covering surfaces of the outer wall and the inner wall around thecavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Various embodiments of the presently disclosed golf wallet are disclosedherein with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A-E are schematic representations of one example of a wallet invarious stages of folding the wallet, and a schematic cross-sectionalillustration showing the walls and the lining;

FIGS. 1F-G are schematic representations of one variation of the walletof FIGS. 1A-E;

FIG. 1H shows an exploded view of one example of the layers of a wallet;

FIGS. 2A-E are schematic representations of a golf glove, and a methodof storing the glove within the compartment of the wallet of FIGS. 1A-D;

FIGS. 3A-D are schematic representations of another example of a walletin various stages of folding the wallet; and

FIGS. 4A-E are schematic representations of a golf glove, and a methodof storing the glove within the compartment of the wallet of FIGS. 3A-D;and

FIGS. 5A-B are schematic representations of a wallet being coupled to abelt during play.

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described withreference to the appended drawings. It is to be appreciated that thesedrawings depict only some embodiments of the invention and are thereforenot to be considered limiting of its scope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Despite the various improvements that have been made to storage device,conventional devices and methods suffer from certain shortcomings suchas those discussed above.

There therefore is a need for further improvements to the devices andmethods used to store sporting gloves. Among other advantages, thepresent disclosure may address one or more of these needs.

FIGS. 1A-D are schematic representations of one example of a wallet invarious stages of folding the wallet. As shown in FIG. 1A, wallet 100 isgenerally rectangular and extends between first end 102 and second end104. In the example shown, wallet 100 is constructed as a tri-foldwallet with three folding panels, 112,114,116. It will be understoodthat more than three or less than three panels are possible. In theembodiment shown, the panels 112,114,116 are substantially similar insize.

Wallet 100 generally includes an outer wall 120 and an inner wall 122.In one example, the outer wall 102 forms a portion of all three panels,while the inner wall 122 extends across a first full panel 112, andportions of the second and third panels 114,116, the inner wall 122having a scalloped edge 123. Scalloped edge 123 extends over two of thepanels and has a specific shape that accommodates the user's thumb aswill be later appreciated from FIG. 2B. In some examples, the inner andouter walls may be stitched together on two or three sides (e.g., thewalls are stitched together on all sides except for scalloped edge ofinner wall 123, which is free from the outer wall). A cavity 125 isdefined between outer and inner walls 120,122, the cavity being shown inFIG. 1A with diagonal shading.

Optionally, the wallet 100 may include a third wall 124 disposed overone of the panels to define another pocket 127 between the third walland one of the outer wall and inner walls 120,122. Pocket 127 again maybe covered with an inner liner as discussed above. A closure mechanism127, such as a zipper, may help to secure objects within the pocket 127.Pocket 127 may be used to store small objects, such as a wristwatch,jewelry, money, tools, a desiccant, or other small objects.

FIG. 1H shows an exploded view of one examples of the various layers ofthe wallet. In addition to outer wall 120, inner wall 122 and third wall124, the wallet may also include a durable covering 170 coupled to theouter wall 120. From top to bottom of the layers of FIG. 1H, third wall124 may be lined on both sides and serves as the top-inside of thevaluables/desiccate pocket. Third wall 124 may extend along ⅓ the lengthof the wallet, and may also serve to trap the thumb in place when foldedor rolled. Inner wall 122 may be lined on one or both sides as well andserves as the bottom-inside of the valuables/desiccate pocket. Innerwall 122 may extend approximately ⅔ the length of the wallet, and mayalso serve as the top-inside of the glove pocket extending as far aswhere palm and thumb intersect. Outer wall 120 may be lined and runs theentire length of the wallet. It serves as the bottom-inside of the glovepocket and serves to allow VELCRO® type hooks to attach to it and holdthe back of the glove in place. Outer wall 120 may extend along ⅓ lengthof wallet section (bottom face). A durable covering 170 forms at least aportion of the outside of the wallet, and runs along ⅔ the length of thewallet and provides folding structure as well as a platform forattaching a belt loop/clip for wear during play and a leather/durablematerial patch for holding tees/ball markers.

In some examples, all surfaces in contact (e.g., inner wall, outer wall,and third wall) with the glove and/or valuables may comprise a softmaterial such as loop fabric. Such soft materials may include an opencell foam core as a substrate upon which the loop is mounted. In someexamples, outer wall 120 may include a soft loop material along itsentire length. Additionally, covering 170 may be formed of a durablematerial, such as for example, woven Nylon, 300D-500D cordura classic orsimilar breathable material with durable properties or a leather. In atleast some examples, the walls are covered on the inside (i.e., aroundthe cavity) with inner, internal lining 121, that contact the glove andother items (See, FIG. 1E). The lining may, for example, comprise a softmaterial such as nylon knit loop with polyester core and nylon backing(e.g., VELTEX®). In some examples, a loop-type lining would serve asclosure surfaces for both the internal pocket and glove itself with theexterior durable fabric having the hook VELCRO® type-part. Additionally,the hook fabric present on the vast majority of golf gloves can beutilized to attach the glove to the wallet, further securing it in thewallet and maintaining its form during closure.

An edging 130 around the perimeter of the wallet may include a singlefold bias tape synthetic material such as nylon or polyester (e.g., amaterial with equivalent durability to 300D-500D cordura). For the sakeof clarity, edging 130 and certain other features are only shown in FIG.1A, although it will be understood that all of the features shown inFIG. 1A may be included in other embodiments.

Wallet 100 may transition from an expanded state (FIG. 1A) to a fullycollapsed (or rolled) state (FIG. 1D) and may include a closure means tokeep it collapsed. In at least some examples, a tab 140 is disposed onone end of the wallet and a complementary landing zone 142 configured tomate with the tab 140 is disposed at another location on the wallet. Taband landing zone 140,142 may together form a closure means. In at leastsome examples, the closure means includes a hook-and-loop closure systemsuch as VELCRO®, the tab having the hooks and the landing zone havingthe loops, or vice versa. Other closure means such as buttons, zippers,clasps, fasteners, or other suitable mechanisms are also possible tomaintain the wallet in the collapsed configuration.

In one variation, shown in FIGS. 1F-G, a tab 140F extends along theentire width of the wallet 100, or a majority of the width of thewallet. A corresponding landing zone 142 of equal width is disposed onthe wallet. When the wallet is collapsed, the tab mates onto the landingzone on one side of the wallet, leaving a second side with enough spacefor monogramming 150. That is the length a1 may be equal to or greaterthan the length a2 when the wallet is collapsed.

FIGS. 2A-E are schematic representations of a golf glove 200, and amethod of storing the glove within the wallet of FIGS. 1A-D. In use, theplayer wearing the golf glove may slip his hand into the cavity 125 inthe direction of arrow “A”. until the ends of the glove touch or comenear first end 102. With the other hand, the user may press on the edgesof the fingers of the glove to pinch them, and remove his hand whilekeeping the glove within the cavity (FIG. 2B). The scalloped edge maymake it easier to insert the four fingers of the glove, while keepingthe thumb outside. A left-handed glove is shown, and it will beunderstood that a mirror image scalloped edge would be formed for aright-handed glove. Other valuables or items may be inserted into anyother pockets within the wallet. The panels may then be folded and theclosure mechanism may be actuated to keep the wallet in the collapsedcondition (FIGS. 2C-E). In at least some examples, the panels are sizedso that the fold lines of the wallet are approximately correspond tofinger digits of the wearer reducing the number of creases in the glove.To wear the glove, the player may open and expand the wallet, slide hishand into the glove while it is within the compartment, and remove hisgloved hand in one motion.

FIGS. 3A-D illustrate a second embodiment of a wallet 300. Wallet 300 issubstantially similar to wallet 100 and may include of the featuresdescribed above. Instead of a scalloped edge 123, wallet 100 may includea vertical edge 323 so that the inner wall covers approximately two fullpanels as shown. The inner wall and the outer wall may be stitchedtogether at three edges, but not at the vertical edge 323 so that accessto the cavity is possible. In this embodiment, right-handed orleft-handed gloves may be used with the wallet. Conversely, scallopededges of FIG. 1A will be disposed in a direction that corresponds withright-handed or left-handed gloves.

Another optional feature is the addition of sewn finger compartments 350in the glove area to separate fingers (for example, at radiating anglefrom center of palm and at shorter length than actual glove fingerlength to accommodate varying glove sizes). Golf wallet may also beattached around a belt (see FIGS. 5A-B) to hold tees and glove duringrounds, making it a utility during the game. FIGS. 4A-E are schematicrepresentations of a golf glove, and a method of storing the glovewithin the wallet of FIGS. 3A-D.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference toparticular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodimentsare merely illustrative of the principles and applications of thepresent invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerousmodifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that otherarrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

It will be appreciated that the various dependent claims and thefeatures set forth therein can be combined in different ways thanpresented in the initial claims. It will also be appreciated that thefeatures described in connection with individual embodiments may beshared with others of the described embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wallet having at least two panels, comprising:an outer wall; an inner wall disposed over a majority of the outer walland coupled thereto, the inner wall having a scalloped edge thattraverses at least two of the panels, the inner wall and the outer wallforming a cavity therebetween; and a liner covering surfaces of theouter wall and the inner wall around the cavity.
 2. The wallet of claim1, wherein the at least two panels includes three panels.
 3. The walletof claim 2, wherein the three panels are of equal size.
 4. The wallet ofclaim 1, further comprising a durable covering disposed over the outerwall.
 5. The wallet of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner walland the outer wall comprises a woven material.
 6. The wallet of claim 1,wherein the liner comprises a soft material.
 7. The wallet of claim 1,further comprising a tab disposed adjacent a first of the at least twopanels, and a landing zone disposed adjacent a second of the at leasttwo panels, the tab and the landing zone being mateable.
 8. The walletof claim 7, wherein one of the tab and the landing zone includes aplurality of hooks, and another of the tab and the landing zone includea plurality of loops.
 9. The wallet of claim 7, wherein at least one ofthe tab and the landing zone extends across an entire width of thewallet.
 10. The wallet of claim 7, wherein the inner wall and the outerwall are stitched together adjacent at least two sides.
 11. A wallethaving at least two panels, comprising: an outer wall having a topboundary, a bottom boundary and two side boundaries; an inner walldisposed at least two of the panels, the inner wall being coupled to theouter wall at the top boundary, the bottom boundary and one of the sideboundaries, and the outer wall forming a cavity therebetween; and and aliner covering surfaces of the outer wall and the inner wall around thecavity.
 12. The wallet of claim 11, wherein the at least two panelsincludes three panels.
 13. The wallet of claim 12, wherein the threepanels are of equal size.
 14. The wallet of claim 11, wherein at leastone of the inner wall and the outer wall comprises a woven material. 15.The wallet of claim 11, further comprising a tab disposed adjacent afirst of the at least two panels, and a landing zone disposed adjacent asecond of the at least two panels, the tab and the landing zone beingmateable.
 16. The wallet of claim 15, wherein one of the tab and thelanding zone includes a plurality of hooks, and another of the tab andthe landing zone include a plurality of loops.
 17. The wallet of claim16, wherein at least one of the tab and the landing zone extends acrossan entire width of the wallet.
 18. The wallet of claim 16, wherein theinner wall and the outer wall are stitched together adjacent the topboundary, the bottom boundary, and one of the side boundaries.
 19. A kitcomprising: the wallet of claim 1; and a golf glove having five fingers,four of the five fingers being disposed within the cavity.
 20. The kitof claim 19, wherein the thumb of the glove is disposed outside thecavity.